My brother-in-law has suggested I instruct a conveyancing solicitor in Gloucestershire. I need to find out whether they are on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Could you help?

You should phone your solicitor and ask them if they can act for the bank. Otherwise you can get in touch with Leeds Building Society who may be able to assist.

My solicitor has informed me that lack of planning permission insurance is necessary on my purchase. What is the typical level of cover needed for conveyancing in Gloucestershire?

The right level of lack of planning permission indemnity insurance depends on your lender. It would differ for example between Halifax and Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Conveyancing solicitors as opposed to borrowers take out such insurances.

We have agreed to purchase a house in Gloucestershire. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Solicitors conducting should look into this right? Will my lender Co-operative be concerned?

As you are obtaining a mortgage with Co-operative your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions contained in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Co-operative. The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook includes minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and conveyancing practitioners are required to report to Co-operative where a lease does not comply with these conditions. The specifications relate to the installation of panels on properties countrywide and is not limited to Gloucestershire.

After shopping around on the internet I have found a Gloucestershire solicitor having checked that they are on the Nottingham conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?

Nottingham will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Nottingham will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own Gloucestershire surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.

My business partner and I are looking to lease a unit on a shopping parade. Can you recommend solicitors offering competitive costs for non-domestic conveyancing in Gloucestershire for below £1,200?

We can recommend firms who have well rounded knowledge of commercial conveyancing in Gloucestershire, including the disposal and acquisition of businesses as well as simply property. If you are looking to purchase or dispose of a shop, pub, restaurant, office, retail premises or a whole business we can put you in touch with the right solicitor. As for the costs these will vary based on the structure and heads of terms of the proposed transaction. Please provide us with your details or phone us so that we may provide you with a fixed commercial conveyancing calculation.

All being well we will complete our sale of a £125,000 garden flat in Gloucestershire in nine days. The managing agents has quoted £384 for Landlord’s certificate, building insurance schedule and previous years statements of service charge. Is it legal for a freeholder to charge an administration fee for a flat conveyance in Gloucestershire?

Gloucestershire conveyancing on leasehold maisonettes normally necessitates the purchaser’s lawyer submitting questions for the landlord to address. Although the landlord is not legally bound to respond to these enquiries most will be willing to assist. They are entitled to levy a reasonable charge for answering questions or supplying documentation. There is no upper cap for such fees. The average costs for the paperwork that you are referring to is £350, in some transactions it is in excess of £800. The management information fee invoiced by the landlord must be accompanied by a summary of entitlements and obligations in relation to administration fees, without which the charge is technically not due. In reality you have little choice but to pay whatever is requested of you if you want to complete the sale of your home.

I am the registered owner of a basement flat in Gloucestershire, conveyancing was carried out June 2008. How much will my lease extension cost? Equivalent properties in Gloucestershire with over 90 years remaining are worth £211,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 invoiced annually. The lease finishes on 21st October 2093

You have 68 years unexpired the likely cost is going to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we are not able to provide the actual costs without more comprehensive due diligence. You should not use this information in tribunal or court proceedings. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not take any other action placing reliance on this information before getting professional advice.

I'm purchasing a flat in Gloucestershire. I have found my conveyancer's company on the Law Society's list, but I can't locate my conveyancer's name on the list. Is this a big problem?

Not all staff in the law firm must be listed by the regulator. As long there is a manager qualified to 'oversee' the conveyancing, the actual day-to-day activity can be undertaken by unqualified staff.